Extension-valise



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. 13.1. 8a E. ANDREWS.

EXTENSION VALISE.

No. 562,695. Patented June 23, 1896.

lwenqrs a? Paul Ljndrews., Einer jbuirew's,

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Wihwsses mmm/M. M/ZZM NDREW I GRANAMJNUTOUWG. WASNNGWN 4IN;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. 1. a E'. ANDREWS. EXTENSION VALISB.

{all} l I i e e ,B Il.) a j JP i v4 i l l l I m i 1 l l 1 l l l il i "l f i 11 l l 1 m l s-nmd Witnesses: rF129 1 lwenlfors: mi@ j faul, L ndrews, @w M64 i ,Emmy fimirewg ANDREW B GRAHAM. PNUTUU'YI. WASHINGTONRC UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

PAUL I. ANDREW/'S ANDEMERY ANDREVS, 0F KENNEBUNK, MAINE.

EXTENSION-VALISE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,695, dated J une 23, 1896.

Application filed May 2,1894. Serial No. 509,785. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it knoun that We, PAUL I. ANDREWS and EMERY ANDREWS, of Kennebunk, in the county of York and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extension-Valises, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

Our invention relates to extension-valises; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, Which Will be readily understood by reference to the description of the accompanying drawings and to the claims hereto appended, and in which my invention is clearly pointed out.

Figure l of the drawings is a front elevation oi' a valise embodying our invention, the same being shown as closed to substantially its smallest size. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same partially expanded to increase its capacity, the cutting plane being on line :e a; on Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is an end elevation illustrating a modification in the construction of the cover. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line y y on Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a portion of one of the straps for securing the parts of the valise together and the compound buckle arrangement on the back side of the valise. Fig. 7 is a section of a small portion ot' the upper end corner on line z e on Fig. si and illustrating the modification, and Fi g. 8 is a partial horizontal section on line o o on Fig. 5. Y

EXtensiomva-lises, as generally heretofore constructed, have consisted of two parts substantially alike except that one was made slightly larger than the other, so as to shut over and serve as a cover for the smaller part, and are secured together by an ordinary shawl-strap- There is one serious inconvenience connected with. the use of such valises, and that is that when it is desired to carry more goods than inner or bottom case Will hold the goods have to be piled up above the top of said bottom part, and the upper part or cover is then shut down over the goods and the upper edge of the lower box and the Whole is strapped together. Whe-n it is desired to have access to the goods in the valise, the strap is removed and the upper box or cover is lifted off, when the goods or articles that are above the top edge of the lower box are very likely to fall upon the iioor, especially if an attempt is made to remove any article from the center of the collection, and have to be rearranged in a pile above the top of said lower or inner box and the upper box or cover has to be placed over said pile. To obviate this objection and produce a valise that is adapted to be expanded or contracted to fit it to the quantity of goods to be carried therein, and that may be packed from the top even when expanded without removing the inner or lower box from the outer or upper one, is the object of our present invention; and to this end We make the valise as shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which- A is the inner or lower case of the usual construction, and B is the outer or upper portion of the case made of a size adapted to slide freely over the case A, and consisting of front, rear, and end Walls firmly secured together, said case being left open at top and bottom. The end pieces u c have flanges a u.' turned at right angles to their main bodies, to Which the front and rear plates b and c are secured, preferably by rivets, as shown. Said end pieces also have each a iiange a2, turned inward at right angles to its main body,at its top, and secured to the front and rear sides by turning a triangular portion of said flange at each end downward, and riveting said turneddoWn portion to said front and rear sides, as shown at d d in Fig. 2.

It will be seen from the above that when completed the outer casing B is in the form of a rectangular tube, having inwardly-projecting lips or fianges across each end at the top, thus contracting the opening through the top of said case in the direction of its length by the Widths of said flanges, While the Width of said top opening is equal to the distance between the front and rear side, While the opening in the bottom of said case is of full length and width, so that it will slip freely over the lower case A.

C is a cover for closing the opening in the top of the case B and maybe made in either of two Ways.

For most purposes a piece of iiexible material of any suitable kind for making such va- IOO lises, of a length substantially equal to the length of the outer or upper case and wide enough to cover the top of said case and extend down some distance in front and rear of said case, is bent along parallel lines at equal distances from its edge and a distance apart equal to,or slightly exceeding,the width of said case, so that the outer portions e e shall be at right angles to the central portion, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Preferably two thin strips of spring metal or stiff but flexible material f are bent to the same shape and secured to said cover, one at each end, to strengthen the cover and maintain its angular shape.

, The lower edge of one of the pendent portions e of the cover C is hinged to the outer casing, preferably by leather hinges, which maybe formed by riveting aportion of the encircling straps to said cover and case near the lever edge of the depending portion of said cover, as shown at g g in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 and by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The opposite pendent portion e of the cover C may be secured to the case B by the hasp h, as shown in Fig. 1, by any other desired hooks, catches, or locks, or be held in place only by the encircling straps in a well-known manner. The flexible nature of the material of which said cover is made renders it practical to make the cover fit quite closely to the case B, notwithstanding that it is hinged to said case at some distance below the top edge thereof. i

In Fig. 4 a modified form of the cover is shown, in which the central or top portion of the cover is made somewhat longer than the case B, and the end portions if are bent down at right angles to the main body or central portion of said cover, but to a less distance than the pendent side portions e, as shown in Figs. 4L and 7. Made in this way the cover C is still flexible enough to permit a comparatively close t to the case B when closed, and as the cover completely incloses the top of said case, the valise can be carried in stormy weather without danger of its contents being injured by water.'

The straps for securing the cases together and supporting the weight of the inner case and the contents are as usual long enough to encompass the cases when expanded as far as practicable and be secured together. Each of the two encircling straps is made in two parts D and D', the part D being secured by the rivets g g to the lower edge of the rear pendent portion e of the cover C and to the rear side of the case B to form a hinge for said cover, and has secured thereto just below said hinge a buckle 7c of ordinary construction, and to its opposite end the female or perforated plate Z of a metal clasp or buckle of the kind some times used on overshoes and that can be quickly clasped or unclasped. The portion D of said strap has attached to one end thereof the tongue portion m of said clasp, adapted to engage with the plate Z, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 4:, and 5.

The strap D passes beneath the case A and through the buckle Zo on the rear side of the case B and has formed therein a series of perforations to receive the tongue of said buckle 7c and permit of its being adjusted to any desired length, according as the cases are expanded or contracted.

To facilitate the separation of the two cases when desired without the trouble of disengaging the straps D' from the buckles 7.5, a buckle is used that has an eye or perforation above the fulcrum-bar of its tongue, to serve the same purpose as the perforated plate Z on the front of the case, and we secure to the rear end of the strap D the tongue portion m of a clasp or buckle like that on the front of the case. By the use of this construction of the straps the valise may be filled to any desired extent, limited only by its capacity, without separating the cases, and when so filled the straps being properly adjusted and clasped, if it is desired to separate the cases for any purpose and replace them again with the contents, or an equal quantity, it is only necessary to unclasp the clasps on the front and rear, allowing the buckle k to remain attached to the strap D', and when the case B is again placed in position and the goods replaced the tongues of the clasps m are inserted in the perforations of the buckles Zt and the plates Z and clasped thereto.

On'the inside of the case B at each end is a strap 'n of leather or other suitable material secured at its lower end to said case near its lower end and detachably connected at its upper end to a stud o, set in and projecting downward from the under side of the inwardly-projecting flange a2.

The case A has secured to each end thereof near its upper edge and upon its outer surface a strap p of leather or other suitable material, said strap being secured at each end to said case, so as to form a loop or eye, through which the strap n is passed and moves up and down when forced, but the fit being such that sufficient friction is created between the parts to sustain the weight of the case B, and maintain it in the position to which it may be adjusted.

Eis a handle provided with a loop 'n' at each end, through which the straps D pass and serve as a means of connecting said handle to the valise.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent of the United States, :is-

l. The combination of the case A open at the top; the case B open at the bottom and adapted to receive the case A and having an opening in its top contracted in length by lips or flanges projecting inward from the end walls of said case; a cover made of a single piece of flexible material with its front and rear portions, bent at right angles to its main body and adapted to close the opening in said case B, suitable encirclingfstraps and fastenings for securing said cases and cover together; and a handle for carrying said cases.

2. In combination with a valise or travel- IOO IIC

ing-ease, rectangular in form end having an opening in its top contracted in length by lips or dan ges projecting inward from the end wells of said ease; aeover mede of exible material comprising t fiat Aportion to @over the top of said oase, and front and rear pendent portions which. extend the whole length of the front :md rear sides of the ease; and suitable hinges connecting the lower edge of one of said pendent portions to the body of seid ease.

3. The combination with the two parts of L telescopio case, of two loops or eyes attached to outer surfaces of the end wells of the inner oase nem' the top; and two straps permanently attached by their lower ends to .the inner surfaces of the end wells of the 

